Chasing Echoes
by ghostesez
Summary: Amidst a series of changes in Danny's life, he soon finds himself in his most dangerous predicament yet. With no way of helping himself, he must hope beyond all reason that help will soon come. Please see author notes for a full run-down of warnings.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to *gestures wildly* this. I've had the ideas and chapter notes for this fic sitting on my computer for what must be three years now. One of my other works (Atramentous Inferno) was me testing the waters of horror and angst to determine how well this one will go over and whether or not I actually want to go through with writing it. I've been reading a lot of Danny Phantom fanfictions lately and I've been re-inspired to complete this project.**

**While I won't be uploading this within just a few days like my last multi-chapter work, I do have everything planned out so I can assure you that this fic will be finished within the next few months. Once you see 14/14 chapters, it's done. This is the eleven regular chapters, plus three bonus chapters.**

**This fic is rated M for major character death (I won't say how many, spoilers and all that), blood, gore, torture, dissection/vivisection, and all that jazz. If you're squeamish, this probably isn't the fic for you. This IS a horror fic and it will NOT have a happy ending, but it will have an appropriate ending, if that makes sense.**

**Please let me know if you notice any spelling or grammatical errors so that I may fix them. This work is cross-posted on AO3 (where I have the same username), also under the name 'Chasing Echoes'.**

* * *

Jack grunted as he lifted the cardboard box off the curb. The Ghost Assault Vehicle, or G.A.V., sat next to the very same curb with many of its hatches and doors open. Jack stepped closer to it, box in hand, and grabbed a large, rolled-up paper out from where it had rested in the passenger's seat. Heaving the paper into the box he carried, Jack turned and headed towards a rusted and dilapidated warehouse. Distantly, he could faintly make out the sounds of waves as they battered the docks across the street.

As he approached the building, Jack truly opened his eyes to the old warehouse that he and his wife Maddie had purchased only a month prior. Old and formerly abandoned, the warehouse was large enough to easily fit a football field, yet inconspicuous enough to draw no attention. The walls, metal and rusted, had stood for fifty years and were thick enough to weather even the strongest of blizzards. The windows near the top told another tale. They were dirty and many had broken panes, signifying the many renovations that the Fentons would surely need to undergo.

Jack set the box down with a huff next to a large door and rose to turn the handle. He pushed in and the door opened with a groan and loud creak that echoed throughout the inside of the warehouse. The light of a mid-afternoon summer sun spilled into the dark warehouse, illuminating the entrance as Jack entered, box in hand. He turned to gently kick the door shut on creaking hinges and continued his trek inside and across the dusty floor to another door on the other side of the large warehouse.

As he strode, he turned at the sound of a chirp. Jack looked up at the catwalk above him and was met by a group of four pigeons as they glared back at him from the rails. One turned and flew out of a broken window nearby. Jack paused and frowned as he stared at the pigeons. He could not help but feel a small tug on his heart as he realized that one had a busted leg and was standing further from the rest of its flock.

Jack sighed and continued on his way. The door that he strode to was unassuming, a single metal door that was positioned underneath what Jack has assumed to be the former managers' office, with windows that surely had once been used to keep an eye on former employees. The office itself was decently sized and located above the main floor of the warehouse. A single staircase led up to it and if one were to turn right instead of head into the old office, they would find themselves on the catwalk that crisscrossed the entire warehouse.

At the door, Jack once again put the box down and rose. Instead of turning the handle as he had to enter the warehouse, Jack flipped up a metal plate to see a number pad underneath. Both the pad and metal plate looked out of place, shiny stainless steel in a sea of rusted iron and stale water dripping from the ceiling. He punched in the code to open the door and with a small click, the door swung open only an inch. Jack picked up his box and headed in, nudging the door open with his knee.

Once inside, the motion-sensor activated and the stairwell before him lit up, a dull red to guide his descension down the stairs. Behind him, the door closed and locked on its own with a loud thud. Jack continued down and turned right down a long hallway at the bottom of the stairs. At the very end, an open doorway spilled bright, fluorescent light into the dim, red hallway. He turned into the room and placed the box on top of a nearby cabinet, very near other, similar boxes.

Jack put his hands on his hips and admired their handiwork. On the other side of the room, Maddie was staring very intently at a blueprint that she was fastening to the wall. Directly under it was a makeshift desk and computer that had yet to be plugged in. Across from her sat a dissection table, cold and menacing. Straps hung loosely from its corners and promised no escape for any poor soul that would be chained there. Next to Jack hung a wall of ecto-guns and blasters, as well as a worktable to create and upgrade guns both new and old. Jack smiled warmly as he noticed the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick, a glorified baseball bat, among the guns.

On the far side, past the guns and tables and filing cabinets, stood a perfectly empty wall. Jack nodded, that was it. That was where the new portal would go. A portal with more safety features that would surely be secure enough to stop anything trying to come into the real world from that Ghost Zone. With the steady increase in ghostly attacks, the Fentons had decided that it was due time to dismantle the portal that currently sat in their basement and relocate it to a more secure location. The bonus, of course, was a better location to dissect and study captive ghosts, something which had always given them trouble due to their children objecting to such studies.

After a quick look into available properties for sale, he and Maddie has decided on this warehouse. Tucked away on the docks of Elmerton, an abandoned warehouse would provide the secrecy and security they desired. Due to its abandonment, the Fentons bought the building for cheap from the city and begun moving the contents of the lab basement here. Jack smiled. The new Fenton satellite lab was nearly complete.


	2. Changes

Danny smiled as he slid his textbooks across the counter. The library assistant, a middle-aged woman in a bright orange shirt and boxy, purple glasses picked each of the five books up and scanned them individually. She spun around in her chair, books in hand, and placed them on a shelf behind her. She turned back to Danny, gave him a receipt and ushered him along where he joined Sam at the door. They waited just a moment for the assistant to do the same with Tucker's books before he too joined them.

"Oh man! Finally done with sophomore year!" Tucker hollered as he reached his friends, only to be met with shushing and glares from those nearby reading or studying. "Sorry," he whispered, halfheartedly.

Sam laughed, "If only you actually had the intelligence levels of a sophomore. What did you spend more time on this year, Tucker, homework or video games?" She turned to open the door and leave, her friends following. "It might be who of Mr. Lancer and Principal Ishiyama to hold you back a year."

"Asinine," Tucker responded. "I passed all my finals. According to the government, I am prepared to meet junior year head-on."

Sam rolled her eyes, "Oh please. You and the nearest tree stump. You're about equally as dense." Sam turned to her other friend. Danny stood, oblivious to their bickering, staring intently out the window in the hallway. The window gave a glorious view of the football field, where teachers, technicians, and student volunteers alike were putting finishing touches on the temporary stage. In just three short hours, Casper High's seniors would be crossing the stages, ending their time in high school and beginning the rest of their lives. Sam reached out for him, "Danny are you okay?"

Danny started and looked back to his friend. "Oh yeah. I'm fine. Just lost in thought. Jazz graduates tonight and leaves in two days. It wasn't until just a few weeks ago that I realized how much I rely on her. She's always been there for me, you know? And now she's leaving."

"Oh Danny, she's only a two-hour drive or single phone call away. And just because she's not in Amity Park anymore doesn't mean she's not still with you in spirit."

"I suppose. But it'll just be me and my folks, and with how weird they've been acting lately who know how much I'll see them." Danny sighed and started toward his locker. Even though he couldn't see them, Danny knew his friends well enough to know that the distinctive thud that he heard come from behind him was likely Sam elbowing Tucker in the ribs. Upon reaching his locker, Danny quickly unlocked and opened it, mentally sighing when he saw it dark and empty. Another thud, this time accompanied by a breathy moan.

He shut the locker and glanced to where his friends stood, looking at him with sadness and concern in their eyes. It was Tucker who spoke first, hand holding the side of his chest, "They still haven't mentioned anything about what they're doing?"

Danny shook his head, "No, which is odd given how much of a chatterbox my dad is. It must be important for him to keep quiet about it. I even went down to the lab after they fell asleep last night to find most of the equipment gone and the portal deactivated. Most of the computers and file cabinets are still there, but quite a few are gone as well. I asked again this morning and they just said that they couldn't talk about it."

"And you know it's not the government this time?" Sam chirped.

"I don't think so. After they tore my bedroom apart my mom seems to hate them just as much as they hate Phantom." Danny sighed, "You don't think Jazz was right, do you? Should I have told them when the accident happened? Do they even need to know?"

Sam and Tucker exchanged glances. The hatred that the two elder Fentons had for Phantom was legendary around Amity Park. Many fights where Phantom was engaged in battle for longer than just a few minutes would inevitably lead to the Fentons appearing and attempting to capture their most-hated ghost. Civilians long ago realized that running while Phantom was fighting a ghost was not at all as necessary as running when the Fentons appeared. For people who claim to hate Phantom partly because of property damage, they never seemed to mind much when they themselves caused it. It was not long before an anonymous blog began reporting that if Phantom eluded capture by the Fentons, they would often appear at his next fight with weapons designed to negate whichever power he used to escape in the first place.

"Uh, I'm not sure," Sam said after a moment. "But what's done is done, and should you decide to tell them sometime soon, or even never, know that Tucker and I are behind you one hundred percent."

"Yeah, dude, we got this. Never a problem has existed that Team Phantom couldn't solve." Tucker paused as a bell rung through the hallway. "Except maybe Lancer's bad mood. Let's get to class – our last one of the year!" The three of them laughed, heading towards the location of their final class.

* * *

The ceremony was beautiful and heartfelt, everything that Danny hoped for when his own graduation came in just two short years. Jazz, who had naturally been made valedictorian, gave a simple yet elegant speech about the changes that live brings and how to overcome them. As she stood at the podium, Danny could not help but be reminded of the speech that she gave in his freshman year. That had been the very same day that she discovered his ghost powers and the very day that she decided to help him from afar.

When she, along with the rest of her class, had walked across the stage, shook hands with the faculty, and took her diploma, their parents screamed a round of congratulations. Danny simply smiled and clapped. He was sure that he had at least two more of Jazz's graduations to attend in the future and wanted to save his excitement for the day when she walked off the stage a doctor.

The ride home was uneventful, yet full of happiness. They had stopped at the Nasty Burger on the way and their father treated everyone to a round of milkshakes as they drove around the corner to pull up to their house. Their parents gave her one last hearty hug before heading inside, leaving the two Fenton siblings sitting on the stoop, drinking their milkshakes.

"They're right you know," Jazz said after a long stretch of silence. She looked to her brother. "I will always be here for you, even if I'm not exactly here physically. I will always be here mentally and emotionally. I'm still Team Phantom in spirit."

Danny laughed and leaned back, staring up to the setting sun. "I know that. I guess that I'm just sad that you're leaving. I'm going to miss you and your bossy attitude..." He trailed off. "Do you really have to leave so soon? Classes don't start for another two and a half months."

"This opportunity isn't something I want to miss, Danny. This professor is only in the country for a month and having an opportunity to work with him in the lab of another incredibly esteemed professor will go a long way to building my C.V. and entry into graduate school." She looked at her brother, his eyebrow raised. "I promise that I'll come home and visit. And you'd better give me a call if anything major happens around here. I'm serious, mister, if I don't get a call within the week I'll assume something's wrong."

"Oh, you can count on it," Danny laughed.

* * *

Two days later, as Jazz packed her room away, Danny stood at the top of the stairs in the kitchen which led down into the lab below. He could hear distinct clatter and the scrapping of metal across metal. He glanced at the kitchen clock. 9:17 A.M. Danny frowned as he realized they had been down in the lab for at least three hours. They had even missed breakfast, Jack's favorite meal of the day. Danny sighed and began to descend the stairs.

As he reached the bottom, he was met with the sight of the lab in disarray. Jack and Maddie were both hard at work packing up the last remaining boxes that had yet to be taped shut. Filing cabinets both new and old had been rearranged on the wall furthest from the portal. Desks and computers lined the two long walls, and the portal stood ominously empty on the far wall. The entire lab was more reminiscent of a basement office now than a research laboratory.

Not wanting to directly ask them about their actions, Danny opted to loudly clear his throat. It was met with no response by either Jack or Maddie. He coughed. Nothing. He coughed again, louder. Nothing. Danny sighed, "Hey mom? Dad?" Maddie failed to verbally respond, but made an audible 'Hmm?' "Will you tell me now what you're doing? This is all a little strange. Where is everything? Why is the portal off?"

"I figured that you'd be happy, Danno!" Jack replied. "Both you and your sister have grown increasingly critical of our work as of late."

Danny tilted his head. Two years of dealing with his parents' hatred of ghosts, especially Phantom, had done wonders to make both Danny and Jazz increasingly critical and wary of their inventions. Two years of talk from his parents about destroying and dissecting ghosts had made Danny apathetic about ever telling his parents the truth about Phantom. He could not help the slight snap in his voice, "So, you realize that we don't like what you're doing and decide it's best to take everything away and set up shop elsewhere? Isn't part of being a good scientist knowing and understanding that you will get criticism? Ever thought that maybe we're critical for a reason?"

"Danny!" His mother snapped. "That is not the reason we are doing this! We are moving the lab because we feel it is the safer option. Both to keep you away from ectoplasmic contamination and to hide the lab from snooping ghosts. We know for a fact that Phantom knows where this place is, so it's likely that other ghosts do too. We have to keep our assets a secret."

Danny sighed, aggrivated. "So then, you're moving the lab to keep contamination away from someone you've had no issue exposing for sixteen years and to keep ghosts from preparing themselves for any new ways you've decided to destroy them?"

"Danny! One more crack like that and you'll be grounded until you too go off to college. Leave us be." Maddie waved her hands towards the stairs. "Go help your sister or something."

* * *

Jazz slammed shut the trunk of her car and flicked the keys around her fingers. "Well," she said. "I guess that's it. I'm heading out."

"Oh, sweetie!" Maddie nearly jumped on her daughter, wrapping her hands around Jazz's neck and kissing her repeatedly on the cheek. "Bets of luck to you! Do well! Don't party too much!"

Jazz laughed, "Okay, mom, I promise. No wild nights. Heard loud and clear." She turned to her dad and hugged him as well, "'Bye, dad. I love you. Don't give mom too hard of a time."

"Ilovayaoutoo," Jack barely said between tears and sniffles. "Mylittagorloffftacollege." The tears running down his face began to flow anew, a stream that easily would have reached his chest by now if Maddie was not furiously dabbing the tears off her husband's face.

"Come on Jack, let's get inside," Maddie told Jack. She turned back to Jazz, "Have a good drive, sweetie. Please call me when you get there. I love you and I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, mom, I love you too." Jazz spoke as she watched her parents disappear up the sidewalk and into the house. She turned to finally acknowledge her brother, who had been smirking the whole time. "If you keep up that shit-eating grin, mom and dad will surely figure it out sooner rather than later. Phantom is well-known for making that face."

"Phantom has more of a reason to make it than Fenton does. Some of these ghosts lately have just been ridiculous." Danny laughed. "They're hardly worth my time."

"Just be safe little brother. And... I've been thinking," Jazz glanced back toward the door their parents had disappeared through not a moment before. "Maybe it's time to tell them."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Think about it and let me know what you decide. What's the worst that can happen?" She looked down at the keys in her hand and opened the driver's door. "See you soon, little brother."

"Later, Jazz, drive safe."

"Will do." She closed the door and started the engine. She waved as the car left the driveway and headed off towards the freeway. Danny did not return the wave until her car was gone from sight.

* * *

Two hours later Danny leaned out of his window, watching the setting sun. He had always loved the skyline of Amity Park, yet he could not shake a feeling deep in his heart that something was amiss. His parents and their inexplicable moving of the lab gave Danny plenty enough reason for concern. That, coupled with Jazz's move out and off to college sank Danny's stomach and squeezed his heart.

Danny turned, shutting his window closed and made his way out into the hallway, passing Jazz's bedroom as he continued. He sighed, just as his phone beeped. He flipped it open to read, 'I made it here safe. I'll call mom now'. Danny started as the landline began to ring. Danny could make out the sounds of his father gushing over Jazz having made it to campus safe and sound. He smiled. Maybe everything would be fine after all.


	3. Whiplash

A bright mid-morning sun shone over Amity Park, rays finding their way into Danny Fenton's bedroom, shining a glowing illumination onto the floor. One of his windows was slightly ajar, allowing for a breeze to also make its way inside, dancing his curtains around the sills. Danny opening his eyes and yawned, glancing at the clock on his nightstand. 10:37 A.M. He smiled. Any day where he could sleep in would be a good day, he was sure of it.

He shifted to a sitting position and swung his legs over the side of the bed, the old metal frame groaning as he did so. He stood and began his trek downstairs, glancing in his parents' bedroom as he went. Gone. Down in the kitchen, silence permeated the house like a thick glue. Futilely, Danny poked his head into the stairwell that lead to the basement and called, "Mom? Dad? Are you guys here?" Silence. Of course.

After a quick bowl of cereal as he mindlessly flipped through the news channels, Danny turned the television off and sat in silence for a moment. Deciding he could no longer withstand the deafening quiet, he headed upstairs and changed out of his pajamas and into day clothes. Maybe Sam and Tucker would want to go do something today. A quick text sent to the both of them proved him wrong. Sam was out running errands with her parents and Tucker's grandmother was in town for the day. Even Jazz would not pick up the phone when he called her. She texted him a few minutes later that she was sorry but was in a lecture hall and could not call him back.

Danny spent the rest of his morning and early afternoon huddled at his computer playing video games. The momentary release from the trials and heartache of the real world consistently gave a certain comfort to Danny who had always used video games as a form of escapism, even before the accident nearly two years ago. This was something that his mother never seemed to quite understand, as she was quick to restrict his access whenever he had been grounded for something. Long nights of ghost fights only to come home and not be able to relax, but to get a lecture and confirmation of a grounding and 'No video games for the rest of the week, young man' were always difficult.

It had been hours that Danny was logged in before the first wisp of excitement for the day passed his lips in the form of a cool, blue mist. Danny quickly stood, letting the blue-white rings pass over him as he assumed his ghostly, otherworldly persona. He grabbed his phone and sent off a quick text to Sam and Tucker, letting them know of the potential danger. Shoving his phone into his pocket, Danny took off out his window and headed towards downtown.

* * *

Downtown was in chaos. In the short time between Danny's ghost sense alerting him to a presence and when he arrived, disaster had already begun. Terrified people screamed and ducked behind benches, trashcans, and anything else available to them as they attempted to flee. Danny landed in the center of the street, one of the busiest in Amity Park, and stood confidently as he faced his foe of the day: Youngblood and his loyal skeletal parrot. Neither paid him any attention, focusing on a large, glowing cage. Inside, Danny could faintly make out a small number of people.

Danny strode towards them all, maintaining the confident, cocky attitude that his Phantom persona was well-known for. He stopped and raised an arm, ecto-blast already changing in his palm, "Hey, Youngbutt!" Youngblood turned to him with a grin and was promptly met with a blast to the face. He was hurtled backward, hitting the cage with a loud bang.

"Phantom! Dude! Wanna come help?! I'm about to take these prisoners to the galley before making them walk the plank!" Youngblood shouted.

His parrot squawked, "Brig, you mean brig. A galley is a mess hall."

"Oh whatever," Youngblood replied, waving his fake hook dismissively at the parrot. He turned back to Danny, "What do ya say, matey?"

"I'd rather not, Youngblood. Senseless violence has never really been my style," Danny smiled. "What do you say that you let these people go, huh?"

"I'd rather not, Phantom. Senseless violence has always been my style," Youngblood yelled. With a flick of his hand, Youngblood manifested a sword and rushed at Danny. Flailing wildly, Danny easily blocked the slashes with a quick ecto-shield and grabbed Youngblood's arm, throwing him into a nearby parked car. The car's alarm immediately went wild, blasting its loud noise for all nearby to hear.

Youngblood, slumped over, yelped as he was grabbed and yanked into the air by his collar. Danny leaned closer do Youngblood's face, "Do you know? Do you know what they used to do to pirates back in the colonial age? Execution." Youngblood gulped as Danny continued, "Luckily for you, we're more civilized these days. Capture will do just fine."

Danny smirked as he reached for the Fenton Thermos with his free hand, aimed it right at Youngblood, and pushed the button. He was nearly instantly enveloped in white light, disappearing inside. Danny turned, aiming the thermos at the parrot, who wore a face of pure shock. Danny took just a moment to appreciate how expressive the parrot always was despite being a parrot, and skeletal, before also sucking him into the thermos.

Danny quickly capped the thermos and began to make his way towards the cage, already shimmering away due to its master's defeat. He reached the cage just as a little girl, no more than five fell out and onto the ground. He reached out a hand to help her up, smiling as she took it and stood. "Careful," Danny said. "Are you hurt?"

The girl shook her head, curls bobbing as she did so. "Thank you," she squeaked. "You're my favorite ghost ever."

Danny laughed and began to say thank you before the words were squeezed from him as he was enveloped in a bone-crushing hug. Danny twisted his head to see two bright, brown eyes staring into his own. It was a young woman, likely the girl's mother who croaked, "Thank you. You saved our lives. I'm sorry that I ever doubted you."

Danny smiled at her, barely aware of the numerous camera flashes happening around him. "No problem, I'm happy to help." Danny turned his head in a blur, hearing squeals from down the street. "The Fentons," he whispered.

The woman grabbed his hand harshly and let go. "Get out of here, I can stall them. We know as well as you how much of a pain they can be."

"Now I believe it's my turn to say thanks for saving me," Danny chuckled as he flew off, leaving the new-found chaos of the Fentons' arrival.

* * *

Passing quickly between all too familiar buildings and streets as he flew, Danny soon arrived home, landing quietly on the top of the Ops Center. He turned at the sound of footsteps, a figure appearing from behind a large pole. The man, with his white clothes, spiked hair, and blue skin was not an unusual sight for Danny. What was unusual, however, was the expression that the man wore, sorrow. Danny waited for Vlad to begin a conversation. After a few brief moments, when none occurred, Danny pipped up, "Yes, Vlad? What do you want?"

Vlad stepped forward, uncharacteristically quiet and placed a hand on Danny's cheek. Danny flinched but allowed it, only because the hand was gone as quickly as it had come. "I just wanted to see you one more time," Vlad paused. "I'll miss you, Little Badger".

"What? I'm not going anywhere. What are you talking about?"

Vlad sighed, "You've made it clear to me that you want nothing to do with me, so I've decided to stop trying. We won't be seeing each other anymore."

"W-what?" Danny stammered. "I've never said that I want nothing to do with you, I simply won't bow to your plans to hurt my father. If things had been different, I'm sure we could have helped each other."

"And we still can. Goodbye, Daniel." Vlad nearly whispered the last two word as he vanished in a flurry of his cape, taking a chill with him. Danny was left in a stunned silence atop his home as the afternoon sun beat down upon him. A small breeze kicked up dust from atop the Ops Center, and Danny suddenly became very aware of the noise that the breeze carried in from downtown.

Danny turned intangible and allowed gravity to pull him down into his room. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and turned back into his human persona. He had new messages from Sam and Tucker, Tucker especially congratulating him on turning another doubter into a believer. Apparently, the woman who hugged him, the woman whose daughter he had saved, was already giving an interview to one of the local news networks.

Danny smiled halfheartedly at this. There would always be doubters, but one or two converts a day was never a bad thing. The good feeling failed to last however, as he sent a quick text to the both of them, 'Can we meet up tomorrow, guys? Vlad has me kind of worried.'

* * *

**A/N: This chapter has been brought to you by cookie dough, which I tore through while writing this. If I die from salmonella poisoning, that's just how I go.**

**Also, let me quickly address something. Amity Park as it is portrayed in the show (and this fic) as a large city. Looking at the long-distance shots of the city, it clearly has skyscrapers. It's large enough for scientific research laboratories, a decently-sized mall, and an observatory. In the episode 'Public Enemies', it is shown very clearly that Amity Park is planned with a grid-structure in mind, something really only seen in large cities. The Fentons live in a townhouse for crying out loud. It just kind of bothers me that people think that Amity Park is a small town or allude to things like Casper High being the only high school around in fanfics. Pet peeve I guess.**

**Tune in next time when the plot really starts going full-speed ahead. It's gonna be a doozy.**


	4. Capture

"So, let me get this straight," Tucker began, taking a sip of his milkshake. "Vlad came to you yesterday saying that he wouldn't be seeing you anymore and that he wanted to say goodbye?"

Danny nodded, setting his cheeseburger down. He grabbed for a fry sitting on the tray and dragged it through a glob of ketchup as he spoke, "Basically. It was jarring to say the least. I've never known Vlad to give up on something. Especially me. You guys know how obsessed he's been with me since he found out he's not the only half-ghost." He popped the fry into his mouth and began chewing slowly, all too aware of the silence glances that Sam and Tucker were exchanging across the table.

"This is some trick, I'm sure of it," Sam said. "He's trying to get you to let your guard down so he can capture you. This is a ruse. I've never been more sure of anything in my life before. Don't dwell on it, Danny, Vlad will be back to his usual brand of creepy within the week."

"I don't know, Sam. It was the way he said it. He was so sad and disappointed. Like he was more disappointed in himself for not getting me than me for not going with him. And the part where he said that we can still help each other? What in the world could that be about?"

"Well," Tucker shrugged. "You two are the only half-ghosts in the world, I'm sure you can learn about yourselves by studying the other. Danielle might be similar but she's hardly the same given her creation process."

Sam turned quickly from Tucker to Danny. "Has Vlad ever tried to study you, Danny? Aside from the Danielle incident, of course." Danny shook his head. "Then it wouldn't make sense for him to start now," she continued. "I still think it's a trick. Never trust Vlad, he's a snake."

"You're probably right, Sam." Danny shrugged. "I don't know why I'm so worried about it, honestly. Maybe he's just gotten under my skin this time."

"It's probably because he's trying to under your mom's," Tucker smirked, half hiding behind his milkshake.

"TUCKER!" Sam yelled, smacking him with book hastily grabbed from her backpack. Danny smiled, giggling to himself.

* * *

Click…

Click…

Beep…

Click…

Buzz…

Beep…

Ding!

Maddie grabbed at the paper as it popped out of the printer, results from the centrifuge experiment written in bold letters. She huffed and crumpled the paper, tossing it with expert aim into a nearby trashcan. Looking back towards the computer in front of her, Maddie began typing commands into the interface. Next to her, the centrifuge began spinning once again, clicking and beeping as it flew. Ding! A paper once again flew into the trashcan.

To her left, a mere eight feet away, Jack was hard at work drilling at the planned location for the new portal, installing the preliminary electrical wires. Goggles in front of his face and sparks flying every which way gave Maddie the impression that Jack was more devoutly installing this portal than the previous. As he continued, Maddie huffed and once again typed commands into the computer, watching with an air of nonchalance as the centrifuge began once again.

"Honey, why don't you split from that thing for the night? I can see you getting frustrated," Jack called from across the lab. Maddie turned back to him to see him pushing his goggles off his face and into his hair. "We can continue it tomorrow. Why don't you come help me with these wires?"

"In a moment, Jack. I feel like I'm close this time." Ding! Maddie jumped from surprise and spun back to grab at the newest paper from the printer. She held it close as she read and re-read the results. "Jack! I've got it!" Maddie stood so quickly he lab chair fell over in a clutter. She ran to Jack to show him the paper, shoving it at his chest as she approached. He grabbed it as she began, "This! This right here is the chemical makeup we've been looking for! Guaranteed to react negatively with ectoplasm and dissipate it entirely."

"That's wonderful!" Jack beamed. He walked to the vial rack on a nearby table and inspected them closely. About half had been used in the centrifuge throughout the day. One had notably nearly exploded. "Which vial was it?"

"Vial 12-B!" Maddie grabbed at the vial, releasing it from the centrifuge. The red and yellow swirls of the concoction moved slowly in a regular, mesmerizing manner. Maddie felt Jack approach and set a hand on her shoulder.

"That's amazing, honey! I'm so proud of you. When will it be ready for field testing?"

"Tonight, Jack. Let's try it tonight."

* * *

Danny kicked at a can as he strode down a dark street. It was late, later than any teenager should reasonably be out alone. He did not care. He had no sister to lecture him, and it was very likely that his parents were taking yet another extended evening doing… whatever it is that they were doing. The can came to a rest at a crack in the sidewalk. He kicked it again, watching with a bored expression as it sailed a few feet down the pavement.

The cool, spring air felt like daggers on his face as he shoved his hands further into the large pocket on the front of his hoodie. A strong gust of a breeze caused him to shiver, and he pulled his hood up over his head. Danny smirked as he realized that he must have been quite a sight. A teenager walking down the street with his hood pulled up? Ungodly. At least his hoodie was red instead of a more stereotypical black. Though, Danny supposed that black would more accurately represent his mood at the moment.

He turned a corner, kicking the can into a gutter. He barely gave the can a glance as he saw it sail into a pile of trash that had accumulated near a storm drain. In front of him, a dim glow illuminated the street. Danny considered continuing on home, but decided against it and headed towards the glow, his local gas station. No cars were there filling up, and only two were in the small parking. He passed through the pumps, absently avoiding the darkened gum stains that littered the concrete floor.

Danny reached out to open the door and winced at the sound of a bell that rung as he did so. A bored-looking employee in a bright uniform and baseball cap paid Danny no attention as he headed inside. He perused the aisle for a moment before settling on a bag of onion rings. Danny quietly paid and left without more than two words to the employee.

The night was even darker and colder than it had been before. A chill ran up his spine as he made the unconscious decision to not head home just yet. Instead he plopped down on the curb outside of the store, next to the old dumpster and stared off into the night.

Nearly to the end of his onion rings, Danny felt a shiver and a cool, blue mist escaped his lips. He sighed, allowing the rings indicative of his transformation to wash over him. He stood and turned, setting his gaze on the small, blue ghost that hovered there.

"And whyyy is it that YOU sit here… distraught?" The ghost asked him.

"You wouldn't understand, Boxy. What are you doing here?"

The ghost shrugged and motioned to a small stack of boxes behind the dumpster, "I take ALL cardboard containers, no matter how small or irrelevant! These will be a fine addition to my collection!"

"That's it?"

"That's… what?" The Box Ghost looked at Danny quizzically.

"Then take them. I'm not in the m-" Suddenly, a large spray of red and yellow whizzed passed Danny, hitting the Box Ghost square in the shoulder as he flew off towards the still-desolate gas pumps. Danny was immediately overcome with concern. "Boxy?!" He took off after the ghost, landing next to him. Danny watched in horror as the red and yellow substance began to eat away at the Box Ghost, a grizzly steam seeping from him and a horrid hissing sound emanating from the blue ghost as he squealed in pain.

Danny could do nothing more than hold his gloved hand to his mouth as he watched the Box Ghost dissolve into a puddle of nothing. The red and yellow continued to eat away at the last strings of blue in the puddle as Danny felt a sticky thud on his back and felt the wind leave his lungs. In horror, he reached behind his back only for his hand to return, burning and covered in red and yellow. The last memory he had before losing consciousness was a rope being tied around his ankles and wrists.


End file.
